Clinicians and staff working on Coronavirus patients at Yeovil District Hospital (YDH) are for the first time receiving feeds from the Dorset Care Record (DCR).
Until now, Yeovil – which takes 30-40 per cent of their emergency admissions from Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) patients – has been unable to access the DCR.
But fast-tracked work due to the spread of the virus means that up to 150 clinicians and staff will now be able to read the GP records of Dorset patients they are providing care for, resulting in less wasted time. In the past, YDH clinicians had to ring Dorset GPs to gather this information.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Yeovil Hospital, Paul Foster said: “Being located so close to the Dorset border means, inevitably, a large number of patients come from outside of Somerset.
“This can create challenges so it is great to be able to overcome these and provide a more enhanced, joined-up approach with our Dorset healthcare colleagues, with the patients’ needs at the centre of all we do.”
Peter Gill, Dorset Care Record Senior Responsible Officer and Director of Informatics at the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals, said: “I am delighted we have been able to ensure that the Dorset Care Record is now available to Emergency Department and other key clinicians at Yeovil Hospital.
“It is vital that staff have the most up to date patient records when tackling coronavirus cases. By having the Dorset Care Record, it provides staff with additional patient information – data really does save lives.
“I’d like to thank Yeovil Hospital and our global healthcare provider Orion Health for turning this around so quickly,” he added.
It is the first time the DCR has been made available to a hospital outside of the county.
Notes to Editors
The DCR, which is bringing together electronically health and social care records, is a partnership supported by NHS Dorset CCG, Dorset County Hospital, Poole Hospital, the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals, Dorset HealthCare, Dorset Council, Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council and the South Western Ambulance Service Trust. Further information is available at https://news.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/dorset-care-record/
For media inquiries about the DCR please contact Tony McDougal, DCR Communications Manager – Tel: 01305 224831 or email tony.mcdougal@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
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